ISB Board of Trustees: Nominations are Open
The ISB Board of Trustees would like to announce its annual election, which will take place on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the day of the International School Association (ISA) Annual General Meeting. (The ISA is comprised of all ISB parents and guardians and is the license holder of ISB.) Election results will be announced that evening at the 7:00 pm AGM. Board nominations open on Friday, March 15 and close on Friday, April 12.
The ISB Board of Trustees is currently composed of eleven elected positions and up to four appointed positions. This year there will be eight open seats on the Board to be filled by election. Newly elected trustees will serve a two-year term, beginning August 1, 2019.
Candidates for the Board of Trustees (BOT) should be aware of the many rewards and responsibilities of serving on the Board. The Board is the guardian of the school’s mission, and as such sets policy, focuses on school governance and addresses long-term, strategic issues. The Board is not involved in day-to-day school management. The full Board meets once a month in an open regular session, followed by a closed executive session. Board meetings occur in the evenings at ISB and last approximately two-three hours. In addition, trustees attend an annual retreat in August.
Trustees also serve on one or more committees corresponding to their skills and interests. Current committees are the Business Committee, the Committee on Trustees, and the Strategic Improvement and Learning Committee. Committees meet once a month for one-two hours and are the working groups of the Board. Subjects such as financial stability, budget oversight, stewardship of ISB’s educational program, evaluation and training of the Board, and future strategic improvements in alignment with the mission of ISB, are examples of issues addressed by the committees.
Trustees are charged with the responsibility to represent ISB and the ISA as a whole, rather than any one constituency within the community. No specific professional or personal background is needed, other than ISA membership, a positive attitude, the ability to commit to the time requirements, and a deep interest to maintain and further enhance the excellence of ISB. The rewards of Board service include the opportunity to interact with our dynamic school leadership team, and the opportunity to understand and help shape ISB’s future growth and direction.
Please note these important election dates and activities:
- Friday, March 15, 2019, 12 noon – Nominations open – Nomination forms will be available at the Head of School’s office or available for download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EW2y4BXfU6CiHGK4eqg0DBQFKQZyZJMC/view?usp=sharing
- Tuesday, April 09, 2019, 6:30 pm, MPB3 – “What is a Trustee?” This is an information session on what it means to be a Trustee. All interested parties and community members are welcome.
- Thursday, April 12, 2019, 12 noon – Nominations close – Nomination forms must be submitted in both electronic and hard copy by this deadline. Electronic copies must be sent to BOT Secretary, Joy Davy at joyd@isb.ac.th (with your name as the subject) and hard copies must be filed with Khun Oor in the Head of School’s office.
- Tuesday, May 14, 2019 – Election, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm & AGM, 7:00 pm
Please contact Dr. Henrietta Bullinger, Chair, Committee on Trustees, with questions regarding service to the Board: 092-249-0937 or hbullinger@gmail.com.
Committee on Trustees:
Dr. Henrietta Bullinger
Nimit Damrongrat
John Heinecke
Grainne MacRae
Andy Richter
Jessica Zaman
ISB Board of Trustees
Red Cross Blood Drive 25th March 2019!
The Thailand Red Cross never has enough blood. To help with this we have organized the donation center to come to ISB on 25th March to collect blood from willing donors. This blood drive is called the “Khun Wut Blood Drive” to honor Khun Wut, a ISB staff member who has donated blood over 100 times. Blood that is donated will be used by the Red Cross for potentially life saving blood, plasma and platelet transfusions.
Sterile techniques are used for blood donations and all blood is screened for infectious diseases after it is donated. All potential donors should be fit and healthy on the day of donation and will need to fill in a questionnaire prior to donation (please see donation guidelines below to see if you are ok to donate). Donors should be 17-55 years old and will be reviewed by the donation team to ensure they are ok to donate (this includes a check of their hemoglobin prior to donation). Questionnaire forms are available to pick up from the ISB Health Clinic if you would like to fill them out before the day to save you time when you donate. Potential donors should ensure they are well rested, well hydrated and have a low fat breakfast/lunch prior to donating.
If you are willing to donate (and meet the criteria below) please sign up at the ISB Health Clinic. We ask potential donors to nominate a time (30 minute time slot) they would be able to donate so we can limit waiting times and ensure the Red Cross have enough staff to cope with donor numbers. Donation times are 9am-12pm and 1-3pm.
Thailand Red Cross Donation Criteria
The Red Cross defines an acceptable donor as one whom:
- Is between the ages of 17-55.
- Weighs at least 45 kg (99 lbs).
You will not be able to donate if:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Gave birth or had a miscarriage in the past six months.
- Had diarrhea in the past seven days.
- Had unintentional rapid weight loss within the past three months
- Had dental treatment in the past three days.
- Had major surgery in the past six months or minor surgery in the past seven days.
- Have a history of drug use or been imprisoned in the past three years.
- Received a blood transfusion in the past year.
- Visited any area where malaria is endemic in the past year or actually had malaria in the past three years.
- Resided in the UK for more than 3 months during the period 1980-1996 or received a blood transfusion in UK during that time.
- Resided in the Europe for more than 5 years during the period 1980-present.
- Have taken any medication other than Paracetamol/acetaminophen.
- Have tested positive for hepatitis B or C in the past.
- Have family members diagnosed with hepatitis within the past 6 months.
- Have asthma, epilepsy, chronic skin disease, chronic cough, tuberculosis, allergies, high blood pressure, heart/kidney/thyroid disease, cancer, bleeding disorder, etc.
- Have had ear/body piercings, tattoos made or removed, or acupuncture in the past year.
- Have received any vaccinations in the last 2 months or received vaccination against Yellow Fever in the last 2 weeks.
- Have received a serum injection in the past year.
- Consumed alcohol in the preceding 24 hours.
You may not be able to donate:
- Have taken any medication other than Paracetamol/acetaminophen (the staff will discuss this with you on the donation day.
Before donating blood you should:
- Get enough sleep (at least six hours).
- Drink at least 3-4 cups of pure water to prepare your system and avoid getting dizzy.
– Do not consume alcohol in the 24 hours prior to donating.
- Eat something healthy that is low in fat. No high fat foods for 6 hours preceding donation.
- Refrain from smoking at least one hour before and a
ISB Jazz Night – Tuesday, March 26
ISB’s annual Jazz Night Concert will take place in the MPB on Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 beginning at 6:30 pm.
This year’s concert features the ISB Elementary Orff Ensemble under the direction of Ms. Angela Wong, a music teachers jazz combo, and also our 8 talented IASAS Cultural Convention vocal delegates, all in collaboration with HS Jazz Band.
They will be performing a wide range of jazz music, including swing, shuffle, ballad and latin styles. You’ll hear a few classics such as ‘Shadow of Your Smile’ and ‘The Way You Look Tonight.’ The concert closes with a fun medley of popular Beatles tunes.
So come out and enjoy of fun evening of great jazz with our many talented ISB musicians! The concert is free admission and all
are invited!
Contact:
Anthony A. Giles, Director of Arts & Activities
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Spirit Night Season Three-Part II
It’s Spirit Night II, Friday, March 29 from 4pm onwards at ISB! This evening highlights two more of our IASAS programs, with the varsity track & field team competing in the BISAC Senior Championships and the golf team running some fun, promotional games with prizes and free popcorn! Don’t miss our athletes in action and the LAST ISB SPIRIT NIGHT OF THE YEAR!
Contact:
Derrick, Athletic Director
derrickq@isb.ac.th
Help On Final Spirit Night of the Year
It’s the final Spirit Night at ISB on Friday, March 29! Come out and show your support at the BISAC Senior Track & Field Meet. On Saturday there will be more fun to have by joining us for the BISAC Track & Field Junior Meet at ISB.
Booster depends on the great volunteers in our community. Please sign up for a shift or two to work the Spirit Tent! As always, proceeds go right back to the kids, as the Booster Club continues to support arts, academics and athletics across ES, MS and HS throughout the year. Please sign up here.
Booster Club – Secretary
booster-secretary@isb.ac.th
Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety-April 3
Wednesday, April 3 from 6:30-8pm in the MPB1
The school counselors will host a screening of the documentary. This screening will be for parents only. We will follow up with student screenings at a later date.
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of worry, fear, nervousness and apprehension. Every student experiences some level of anxiety as a part of life. Anxiety becomes a problem when it disrupts their day to day life and prevents them from doing things they used to enjoy. Angst was created to help break the stigma related to anxiety and open up the conversation around mental health. It features kids, adolescents, experts and researchers. The filmmakers believe there is power in watching Angst as a community – power to change and permission to talk about it. The film is 56 minutes and will be followed by a discussion.
We hope you can make it!
Learn more about ISB’s Curriculum, from the experts-April 5
Parent Workshop – Curriculum Development at ISB: Principles and Practices
Friday, April 5, 2019
9:30am -11:00am in MPB 1
Curriculum is a very important part of schooling and a topic common to all educators but less so for parents. Teachers are writing, reviewing and adjusting curriculum on a daily basis in order to provide the best learning for their students. There is often a belief that the standards or resources are the curriculum but this is an inaccurate assumption. Our curriculum is multi-faceted and driven by the broader goals of our school to include ISB’s Vision and Mission, Definition of Learning, Attributes and Values.
Please join Dr. Elizabeth Rossini and Bronwyn Weale from ISB’s Learning Design Center (LD) for a discussion regarding curriculum development at ISB.
Contact:
Elizabeth Rossini, PhD, Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning
elizabethr@isb.ac.th
Nominations for PTA Executive Board 2018/2019 are now open!
In order for the PTA to continue to offer critical community-enhancing activities like Intercultural Day, Staff Appreciation, parent education and social support events, Welcome Wai, student activities and materials grants and MORE, we need marvelous parents like YOU!! This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact at ISB, while having fun, creating exciting memories, and getting to know even more wonderful people. We are seeking enthusiastic and spirited individuals to help make 2019-2020 another fantastic year, where our entire community feels connected! If serving on the PTA Board sounds like a possible fit for your talents and interests, please complete the electronic application form (link: https://goo.gl/forms/u2UUuPYAPhAJeUji2) and someone from the Nominating Committee will be in touch.
PTA Overview:
The ISB PTA is a parent run auxiliary with the goal to help its community and our children have a memorable and pleasant experience at ISB. PTA’s main objective is to encourage parental involvement through social events and activities that help bring the ISB community together. Among its assortment of tasks, PTA members meet monthly, share monthly activity reports, participate in budgeting, and contribute to Touchstone articles.
PTA Roles Overview:
| President – Primary liaison between PTA and the school administration. Oversees officers, chairs, and committees. |
| Vice President – Liaise and support the Community Representatives and chair the PTA Nominating Committee. PTA representative on Food, Security, and Transportation committees. |
| IFF Coordinator – Plan, organize and ensure smooth operation at IFF. |
| Adult Education Coordinator – Manages course offerings, enrollment fees & payments. |
| Secretary – Creates meeting agendas, notifies Board Members and Membership of regularly scheduled meetings, and records and reports meeting minutes |
| Treasurer – Manages all PTA budgets and financials, through the use of good accounting and in accordance with Bylaws. A background in accounting is required. |
| ES Coordinator – Organizes PTA school meetings and intercultural day activities, represents general parent interests, ideas and suggestions to the school leadership team. |
| MS Coordinator – Organizes PTA school meetings and student socials, represents general parent interests, ideas and suggestions to the school leadership team. |
| HS Coordinator – Organizes PTA school meetings, liaises & supports subcommittees, represents general parent interests, ideas and suggestions to the school leadership team. Works in team with the Principal Forum coordinator and as a liaison for communication with the HS administration and the PTA. |
| Communications Coordinator – Maintains PTA website, publishes “PTA e-news” newsletters & updates the PTA Facebook page as needed. |
| Editor in Chief of Touchstone – Oversees editing, layout, writing, proofreading, publishing, and distribution of Touchstone magazine. |
| Hospitality Coordinator – Organizes cookie appreciation day, Staff Appreciation lunch, hospitality treats and distributes cards/gifts for births, farewell & welcome for staff. |
| Welcome Wai Coordinator – Organizes parent activities like welcome coffees, new parents orientation, first point of welcome for new ISB families and assists in their integration to ISB. |
Elections for the PTA Executive Board 2019/2020 will be held on 14-May at 6pm.
Thank you for your interest!
Nominating Committee:
Bettina Bremsteller (pta-firstvp@isb.ac.th)
Katie Edsall (pta-president@isb.ac.th)
Tara Osterstock (pta-secretary@isb.ac.th)
Tiffany Romasanta (tiffanylr415@gmail.com)
Mary Ann Morse (maryannbanker1@gmail.com)
Parent Social at Sweet Poppy – Thursday 4th April at 8am
The PTA are delighted to invite all parents to our final social event of the 2018/2019 school year at Sweet Poppy restaurant. Come and enjoy the beautiful oasis that Sweet Poppy has created only 5 minutes away from ISB. Recharge your batteries, embrace the tranquility and enjoy chatting with other ISB parents over coffee and a light bite.
To help us to plan refreshments and space, this will be a sign-up event. To secure your spot, please sign up by clicking on this link.
https://docs.google.com/
Contact persons:
Petra and Jenna
welcomewai@isb.ac.th
Announcing the Winners of the Mindstorms Robotics Open Competition:
Design: Sand and Oat
Teamwork: Intuch, Ing and Chan; and Pom, Lukas and Alex
Skill: Yoshitaka and Mototaka
Production: Yoshitaka and Mototaka; and Pom, Lukas and Alex
Overall Winner (most points): Pom, Lukas and Alex
Congratulations to all competitors, and hope to see you again at the next challenge in fall 2019.
Take the Free ISB Parent Shuttle Service from Downtown to ISB
We are pleased to be trialling a shuttle service between ISB and downtown for our parents. On account of feedback received through the PTA from our parent community in town, we have chosen times which seem to work for the majority and one central stop of Emporium Suites, near the Phrom Phong BTS.
We will be assessing the frequency of use and also the convenience of the times over the next month, to determine the viability of this service.
At this stage, we are using a 13-seater van, as we do not anticipate great numbers at this stage. There is no need to book, you can simply meet at the ISB Panther, or the Emporium Suites Lobby 5 minutes before the van departure time to join the shuttle.
Should you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email shelleyb@isb.ac.th.
Monday – Saturday (exclude public holidays, Professional days-no school for students)
ISB To Emporium Suites 6.00am
Emporium Suites to ISB 8.00am
ISB To Emporium suites 2.00pm
Emporium Suites to ISB 4.00pm
ARTS FEST 2019 – 5:30 onwards, Thursday, March 28 On the Plaza
Arts Council’s annual Arts Fest event is coming up on Thursday March 28th. From 5:30 onwards, come to the plaza between the cafeteria and Field D to enjoy good food, participate in art related activities and support our students taking part in the talent showcase. Hope to see you there!
Contact:
Anthony A. Giles, Director of Arts & Activities
anthonyg@isb.ac.th